To be fair, I’m sort of “happy” that I’ve been ripped off a few times because it allowed me to learn from experiences. Heck, some of the things you’ll read below are some of my fondest travel memories. That said, at the time, I was not impressed. Avoid the following travel ripoffs and you’ll save yourself some money and potential headaches.

Anything sold at a market

I’ll admit as a tourist, markets are a lot of fun. I love the idea of shopping amount locals and looking for souvenirs to bring home. The problem is, most popular markets are only visited by tourists and there’s typically no listed price. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up paying much more than you have to.

At the night market in Bangkok, I wanted to buy paper lamps. While I was browsing, there were three different prices which were all based on the person’s haggling skills. The person who spent the most paid double of what the lowest person paid. Because I overheard this, I got a good price, but the lamp ended up being of low quality and broke quickly.

When I was in Dubai, I headed to the gold souq with my friend who’s a local. She was looking for something for her daughters so she got a quote from one of the vendors. Right away she knew it was a ripoff since it was 25% more than stores located outside of the souq.

Foreign exchange fees

Changing money at the airport, your hotel, or even your bank can cost you a small fortune. When I was headed to Brazil, I went to my bank to exchange some money, they quoted me a 10% markup! While I was at the airport in Barcelona, the spread was 7.5% above the current exchange rate. As you can imagine, those fees can add up quickly.

I find using ATMs to be the easiest and cheapest way to get cash. The usual cost is 2.5% on top of the spot rate, plus a one-time transaction fee. It’s best to withdraw your daily maximum when using ATMs since it’ll lower your overall transaction fees. Note that the STACK Mastercard doesn’t charge the exchange fee, you only pay the one-time transaction fee.

Alternatively, you can use one of the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees in Canada. These cards don’t charge the standard 2.5% exchange fee so they’re perfect for travelling. Some even come with extra travel benefits such as lounge access. 

Hotel mini-fridge and Wi-Fi

I never really understood those who consume food and drink from the hotel mini-fridge.  How lazy are you that you’d rather pay double to triple the price for a can of Pepsi or some nuts? I understand that you’re paying for convenience, but how difficult would it be to go to a convenience or grocery store to load up on snacks when you arrive?

I hate to keep bashing hotels but why do some hotels still not have free Wi-Fi in the room? Admittedly, this is becoming rare. However, to get free Wi-Fi, the major hotel chains usually want you to join their loyalty program first. That’s not such a bad thing since programs such as Marriott Bonvoy are excellent. Smaller and independent hotels typically include free Wi-Fi as a standard benefit. 

Things sold on the street

I remember my first time in New York I saw people selling “designer bags” on a blanket, obviously the bags were fake, so why would you want to but them?

In Florence, I saw the same thing but instead of handbags they were selling tripods. I assumed there was no way there could be fake tripods, so I purchased one. Big mistake, after using it just twice the thing snapped.

When I was in Istanbul, I couldn’t walk 100 meters without being offered a tour of the Bosphorus. I did take a look at one of their tours, but I quickly realized the price was much higher than a similar cruise I could book online or through my hotel.

Carrier surcharge fees

When booking a flight on points/miles, many airlines charge a carrier fee, which is sometimes referred to as fuel surcharges. This is easily one of the biggest travel ripoffs since they’re only charged when you’re redeeming your points. Clearly airlines are doing this to recapture some revenue since you’re not paying for your ticket.

Not every airline charges this fee, and the good news is that the new Aeroplan is eliminating this fee completely. However, some airlines will continue to charge it which is why you should try to avoid those carriers when redeeming your points.

Final thoughts

Whenever you visit any destination that gets a lot of tourists, there are going to be a lot of things that are going to be a ripoff. It’s always best to do your research and never make any quick decisions if you’re looking to buy something. You’ll also want to avoid some travel gear as it’s not nearly as useful as they sound.

Travellers who choose hotels do it because it’s part of the whole travel experience. Hotels offer Big beds, beautiful washrooms, and of course housekeeping. There’s no doubt that you’ll be well rested and relaxed after staying at a hotel.

Airbnb gives travellers different options since you can rent a shared room, private room, or entire place. The lower price is the biggest draw, but you’re also getting a more local experience since you’ll be living like a local.

What you end up deciding on is really up to you, each one offer it’s own pros and cons.

Airbnb advantages

Price – Saving money is the most obvious advantage of Airbnb, compared to a hotel you can save anywhere from 25-50%. Airbnb does offer weekly rates which can help you save ever more money. Cleaning and service fees do need to be factored in, but even with those added charges, you’re still getting good value.

Local experience – When you stay with Airbnb you’re getting a local experience. Hosts are locals that’ll be able to recommend restaurants and bars that they visit, not some place that’s popular with tourists. They’ll also be able to recommend you some places to check out that aren’t found in guide books.

Amenities – Unlike hotels, Wi-Fi is always free with Airbnb. Since many Airbnb apartments have a full kitchen, guests can cook their own meals if they so desire. I’ve even had hosts loan me bikes so I could explore the city in a different way. The best thing about all these amenities is that they’re free with Airbnb.

I’ve stayed with Airbnb all around the world and safety has never been an issue. Through Airbnb you can check the online reputations of hosts and contact them before making a booking.

Hotel advantages

Convenience – Hotels are flexible with their check-in times, they have staff available around the clock, the concierge will be able to assist you in any way, and who doesn’t like having their room cleaned and bed made every day. Many hotels also offer a no-fee cancellation policy as long as you give them 24 hours notice.

Dining options – You won’t even need to leave your hotel if you’re looking for a place to eat or drink since most hotels have an on-site restaurant, a lobby bar, and room service. This might not sound like a perk to the casual traveller, but for many people, hanging out at a hotel bar or restaurant is a fun and trendy thing to do.

Amenities – Many of the best pools in the world are hotel pools, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that some travellers are still choosing hotels. Hotels have also started to build much better fitness centers to attract the active traveller. Smartphones and laptops are pretty common these days but many business travellers still enjoy using the hotel business center.

A good hotel experience can be hard to match, it can even create travel memories that last a lifetime. There’s no doubt that hotels offer incredible service, you’ll just need to budget more for your vacation if you go this route.

Final word

So Airbnb or hotel, have you decided? The truth is, you don’t need to stick with one or the other. Whenever I travel, I factor in costs, location, and convenience before making a decision. Some trips I’ve leaned more towards hotels, while on other occasions I’ve used Airbnb exclusively. On my recent trip to Japan, I actually used both options and had great experiences at each location.

Tokyo locations

Tokyo is a massive city, and with so many different things to see, it can be pretty confusing for first time visitors to figure out where to stay. To be honest, as long as you’re staying near a train station on the JR Yamanote line, you’re probably good since it’ll take you 20-25mins at max to get anywhere. Here are a few locations that are worth considering.

Shinjuku – This area is probably the most popular spot for Airbnb in Japan. The shopping and nightlife draws a lot of interest from tourists. It’s basically the Times Square of Tokyo, and as a result,it’s one of the more expensive areas to stay in the city. Airbnb is still pretty reasonable compared to hotels here, but you’re probably going to be paying a premium over other areas. One other advantage is that if you’re landing at Narita airport, you can catch a train or bus directly to Shinjuku station.

Shibuya – Home to the world-famous scramble crossing, Shibuya is a very exciting place, but it really doesn’t have that much to offer. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of great restaurants, decent shopping, and it’s definitely a great place to people watch, but if you’re looking for a place to stay and your budget is an issue, there are better options.

Ebisu – This is the area I decided to stay in during my last trip to Japan. Ebisu is more of a residential area that is popular with ex-pats, but since it’s not considered a major area, Airbnb rentals are about 25% cheaper. Ebisu is just one stop away fromShibuya and it’s also walking distance from a trendy area called Daikanyama which is a cool lesser known area of Tokyo. The other advantage of this area is that it’s relatively quiet so you can easily get a good nights sleep (assuming you’re not staying by the train station).

Ikebukuro – Another area that might not be known internationally, but it’s definitely worth staying since prices are lower. Ikebukuro is actually a great area with a lot of tourist attractions; There’s Sunshine city, a commercial and entertainment complex, various department stores near the train station, and even a penguin bar.

Other spots worth checking out are around Ueno and Tokyo stations.  Don’t forget that unlike North America, Japan is a very vertical city so look up when you walk. Wherever you go, you’ll find restaurants, lounges, and entertainment right above your heads.

Kyoto locations

Most people who visit Kyotovisit Kyoto are quickly disappointed by the transportation options compared to Tokyo. Although Kyoto has multiple train lines, they don’t actually service the city well so you really need to be picky about where you stay.

Kyoto station – In my opinion, staying near Kyoto station is the best option. Many people who stay in Kyoto make day trips to Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and Kobe so it’s very convenient to be near the station. All major bus routes start at Kyoto station and there’s also a bike rental place nearby, so you have plenty of options for transportation. When you’re done sightseeing for the day, the station has multiple food courts and great shopping, making it a great place to hang out.

Downtown Kyoto – If you’re looking for the best food, shopping, and nightlife then downtown Kyoto is the place to stay. Roughly bounded by the Kamo-gawa River to the east, Karasuma-dori to the west, Oike-dori to the north, and by Shijo-dori to the south, downtown Kyoto doesn’t have many temples or shrines but it is home to the famous Nishiki Market. Shijo is the closest metro station and it takes just 5 minutes to reach Kyoto station.

Higashiyama – More commonly known as eastern Kyoto, Higashiyama is home to many of Kyoto’s most famous temples and shrines. There’s no doubt that this is the most beautiful part of Kyoto, but you’ll need to rely on buses to get around. Some sites may seem to be walking distance from each other, but you quickly realize how spread apart things are. If you have no budget, many of the higher end hotels are located in this area.

Arashiyama is the other area of Kyoto that most tourists visit but it’s inconvenient to stay there since it’s pretty far from everything else. With Kyoto, convenience should be your priority so stick to one of the other areas instead.

Final thoughts

In Japan ,there are restaurants and bars everywhere, so regardless of where you stay, you won’t need to worry about going hungry. Free Wi-Fi is another reason to stay with Airbnb in Japan. Every host I stayed with provided free portable Wi-Fi, having an internet connection comes in very handy when you’re trying to figure out your train connections, or just trying to figure out where you are.